Questions to Ask an Estate Agent When Selling

Start by checking the agent is properly registered

Before comparing photography packages or valuations, check the basics. In Ireland, estate agents who provide property services must be licensed by the Property Services Regulatory Authority. The PSRA register of licensed property service providers is public, so you can confirm the business and the services it is authorised to provide.

Registration is not the whole decision, but it gives you a reliable starting point. Then ask who will be your main contact, who will conduct viewings and how the team shares information when someone is away. A sale can involve several people, but you should know who is responsible for keeping the picture clear.

It also helps to ask about recent experience with homes like yours. Similarity is not only about bedroom count or price. It can include location, condition, style, buyer type, land, apartment management arrangements or a feature such as a sea view. Ask for examples that show the agent understands how comparable buyers make decisions.

Ask how the valuation was reached

A valuation is useful when it is explained. Ask which recent sales, active listings and local demand signals shaped the recommended asking price. A good answer should distinguish between what has actually sold, what competing homes are asking and what makes your property more or less comparable.

Do not feel obliged to choose the highest number. An optimistic figure may sound appealing in the room, but the important question is whether it makes sense to the buyers who will compare the listing online in the first few days. Ask what would need to be true for the suggested price to be realistic, and what the review point would be if early interest is quieter than expected.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission advises sellers to speak to several agents, compare what they charge and ask how much they think the property will sell for. Its step-by-step selling guide also recommends asking about similar local sales and demand. Those questions help turn a broad valuation into a plan you can assess.

Get the full cost and agreement in plain language

Fees are only useful when you understand what they cover. Ask for the commission or fixed fee, whether VAT applies, which advertising costs are separate and when each payment becomes due. Do not assume that a brochure, portal listing, floor plan, photography, video or upgraded placement is included. Ask for the proposed package in writing so you can compare like with like.

It is equally important to ask about the agreement. How long does the instruction last? Is there an exclusivity period? What notice is required if you decide to change course? Are there circumstances in which costs or commission could still arise after the agreement ends? Read the document carefully and take time to ask about anything that is unclear before signing.

The CCPC notes that licensed agents should provide a Property Services Agreement at the beginning of the relationship. That agreement is the place to check the terms, costs and duration rather than relying on a verbal summary from a busy valuation appointment.

Ask for a marketing plan, not a list of logos

Most agents can name the main property portals. The more useful question is how the campaign will help the right buyer understand your particular home. Ask which images will lead, which details need to be ready, how the listing description will be shaped and whether the property needs photography alone or a broader story across video, a tour or a dedicated campaign page.

Ask what happens on launch day, how quickly enquiries are followed up and how the agent will judge the first response. A clear plan might include the order of the images, the angle of the description, the timing of viewings and a simple process for reporting buyer feedback. It should explain the job of each activity, rather than promise that more media automatically means better results.

For your own preparation, work through a pre-shoot checklist before photography. It helps make the important rooms, light and approach easy to understand from the first image. Then the agent can build a campaign around the strengths that are genuinely there.

Understand who manages viewings and feedback

Viewings are where the marketing promise meets the real home. Ask who will be present, how appointments are qualified, whether viewings are accompanied and how feedback will be gathered. If you have work, school or family commitments, discuss the practical limits early so the plan is manageable as well as ambitious.

Agree how and when you will hear from the agent after a viewing. Quick feedback matters, but it needs context. One viewer may be comparing layout, another might be focused on timing, while a third may simply not be ready to proceed. Ask how the agent will separate a passing comment from a pattern that should influence the campaign.

Communication is not a minor detail. The CCPC highlights regular contact between the seller, estate agent and solicitor as one way to avoid unnecessary delays. Ask whether you will have a scheduled weekly update, a call after every viewing or another clear arrangement that fits the pace of the sale.

Use the conversation to test local knowledge

Local knowledge is more useful when it is specific. Ask what buyers are responding to in homes like yours right now, what tends to cause hesitation and which features deserve more attention in the listing. An agent who knows the area should be able to talk about the practical comparison a buyer will make, not only repeat broad headlines about the market.

For example, a well-finished town apartment may need to make storage, parking, management information and walkability easy to understand. A family house may need to show the flow between kitchen, garden and bedrooms. A rural property may need to explain access, boundaries, outbuildings or views. The right answer will depend on the home, but the discussion should give you a clearer sense of what the campaign needs to prove.

Ask what feedback from recent comparable listings changed the agent’s approach. Did buyers need a better view of the garden, stronger floor-plan information, a different price position or more flexible viewing times? This is not about expecting a guaranteed result. It is about choosing an agent who notices the evidence and adjusts the plan rather than simply waiting for a listing to do the work on its own.

It can also help to ask how the agent will describe the property’s limits honestly. A narrow lane, an older heating system, a compact second bedroom or a long commute should not be hidden behind clever wording. Buyers who understand the trade-offs before they view are more likely to arrive with realistic expectations. Clear presentation saves time for everyone.

Ask what needs to happen before launch

A credible agent will be able to explain the groundwork before the listing appears. In many cases, that means appointing a solicitor early, checking title information, preparing a contents list and making sure the BER is ready before advertising. The exact requirements vary, so your solicitor and agent should guide the property-specific details.

On the presentation side, ask which repairs, rooms and exterior details will have the biggest impact. A calm, targeted preparation plan is more useful than trying to renovate everything at once. The goal is to help buyers understand the home’s light, layout, condition and setting without creating a version of the property they will not recognise at a viewing.

Avera’s house-sale preparation guide gives you a practical order for that work, from the approach and key rooms through to photography day and the first viewings.

Compare clarity, not just confidence

After two or three conversations, put the proposals beside each other. Which agent gave the clearest evidence for the valuation? Which one described the likely buyer and the campaign in a way that fits the property? Which agreement, cost breakdown and communication plan can you explain back in your own words?

Trust your sense of how the relationship will feel once the listing is live. You do not need a sales pitch that makes every home sound identical. You need a partner who can make a reasoned case for the price, prepare the launch carefully and tell you what the market is actually saying once the viewings begin.

When the sale plan is in place, Avera Design International can support the visual side with property photography, cinematic video, Matterport 3D tours and virtual staging. The aim is simple: give buyers a truthful, compelling first view of a home that is ready to be seen.

A simple way to make the final choice

Before you commit, ask each agent to send a short written summary of the proposed asking price, costs, agreement length, marketing activity and communication plan. Reading those summaries later, away from the valuation appointment, makes it much easier to spot the differences that matter. You should be able to see what you are paying for, what needs to happen before launch and how the agent will respond if the first week does not bring the interest everyone hoped for.

Choose the proposal that gives you the strongest evidence and the clearest working relationship. Selling a home involves uncertainty, but the right early questions make the next steps more orderly. That leaves more room to prepare the property well, make good decisions as feedback arrives and give serious buyers a clear reason to view.